The 13th Struggle
by TTY7
Summary: Homura Akemi reset the timeline for the thirteenth time after failing to keep her vow to save Madoka Kaname in the previous twelve cycles. And, while she doesn't realize it yet, this will be the last reset to this particular point in her life, for in the last timeline, she unknowingly accepted another contract, one very different from the agreement Kyubey tricked her into.
1. Introduction

A/N: This story is something that I thought up randomly in the aftermath of finishing Code Geass: Akito the Exiled a few days ago. While on Pinterest looking at Code Geass art from Akito the Exiled and the original series, I came across a picture I had pinned a while ago...a picture of Homura with a sword and a glowing red eye that resembled Geass a bit. That got me thinking.

You know there's going to be trouble when I start thinking.

The following is what I came with after enlisting the help of a very good friend of mine. I'd tell you who she is, but if I did she would hit me with a metal pipe and I rather not have that happen. Thanks for your support sista!

Story synopsis: Homura Akemi has spent one year (12 time resets) trying and failing to save Madoka Kaname from becoming a Magical Girl. However, the thirteenth reset changes everything. How? Well, you'll find out soon enough.

Warnings: This story is basically one huge AU of Madoka Magica, except for Homura's flashback episode near the end of the series. In other words, the events of the anime and Rebellion have not occurred and will not occur. Also in this story, Homura has only been through twelve cycles rather than the rumored 100. In other words, she won't be Ice Queen Homura who is completely obsessed with Madoka. She'll be...somewhat reserved Homura? She'll be a little different, that's all I can say about it. Now, as for how Code Geass is going to tie into all this...well you'll have to wait and see. Enjoy the first chapter everyone!

 **Opening Theme:** _O2 by Orange Range  
_ **Ending Theme:** _Enrai (Distant Thunder) by Do As Infinity_

Disclaimer: I do not own Madoka Magica or Code Geass.

* * *

 _"Since that day, I've lived a lie. The lie of living. My name too was a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed, but even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair." ~Lelouch Lamperouge_

* * *

My name is Homura Akemi.

On August 10th, 2010, the Holy Britannian Empire savagely invaded Japan with their newest weapon, the autonomous battle vehicle known simply as the Knightmare Frame. Despite the odds being against them, the Japanese fought valiantly against the Britannian forces, and a few, such as Commander Kyoshiro Tohdoh, produced astounding victories that could only be called miracles.

However, Japan's fight ended when the prime minister, Genbu Kururugi committed suicide.

Forced to surrender in the wake of his death, the Britannian military quickly stripped this nation of its pride and dignity, slaughtering countless along the way without a thought. The worst of the bloodshed happened in the city of Mitakihara, now aptly named District 13 of Area 11.

This timeline is one I can't reset without dire consequences, for this is not the timeline or the world I came from. To reset time here could mean another world created or I might find myself back in the cycles of failure again. I'm afraid to do anything about the suffering my people go through when life is as perfect for me as it will ever be.

Before the attack on Japan and before I spent twelve months repeating the same month over and over, I transferred to Mitakihara Middle School and met a Magical Girl: Madoka Kaname. She worked alongside another Magical Girl, a veteran of the fight against witches named Mami Tomoe. In this original timeline, the two of them protected me from harm with a cat-like creature accompanying them.

This creature, Kyubey, was gifted with the ability to grant the wishes of young girls; nevertheless, nothing in this life is free. Everything comes at a cost.

In exchange for granting a girl's deepest wish, he contracts her service as a Magical Girl, which duties include slaying witches and little else...or so it seemed at that time.

Madoka and Mami acted as heroines of justice, using their powers to fight against witches and their familiars in order to save the innocent. Both of them were very kind to me, but I'll admit Madoka was the one I was in the most awe of back then and even now. She thought so little of herself, yet was and is the most compassionate and heroic human being I have ever known.

In the original timeline, the two Magical Girls met their end against a witch known as Walpurgisnacht. In the despair wrought upon me through their meaningless deaths...no, _her_ meaningless death, I made a contract with Kyubey, begging him for the chance to meet Madoka again and fight alongside her.

Kyubey granted this wish, and thus began the struggle to save my best friend.

In the first trip back, I almost blew the whole secret of Magical Girls in the joy I felt at being reunited with Madoka again. Following that, I joined her and Mami in the fight against witches, gradually strengthening my abilities over time. However...

After the fight against Walpurgisnacht, in which Mami was killed, Madoka began to writhe in pain, crying out in anguish as her soul gem turned pitch black.

In that moment, I learned the true nature of Magical Girls, of the curse we were tricked into accepting.

When Kyubey transforms a girl into a magical being, he removes the soul from the body and places it inside an external container holding not only the source of that being's magic but the source of their very existence. The physical body becomes like a machine, functioning only for the purpose of carrying out its programmed task.

However, if the light of a soul gem becomes tainted...that Magical Girl will become a Witch.

It's ironic isn't it? The fate of all Magical Girls is to become the very thing we are contracted to fight against.

Upon gaining this knowledge, I went back in time again and tried my very best to warn Madoka and Mami of Kyubey's treachery, even attempted to warn Madoka's best friend Sayaka Miki, who joined the team after having her own run-in with the creature systematically ruining our lives. None of them believed me.

Kyoko Sakura appeared shortly after.

Sayaka responded negatively toward this, though most of her emotional pain stemmed from not having her feelings reciprocated by the boy she was in love with. She accepted help from no one, fighting familiar after familiar without bothering to chase after the witches who held the key to her survival.

Eventually, as all Magical Girls do...she succumbed to the darkness overwhelming her soul and transformed into a Witch.

In the aftermath of this event, Mami had a nervous breakdown and lashed out, shattering Kyoko's soul gem to pieces with a single shot of her rifle while binding me in thick yellow ribbons.

 _If soul gems give birth to witches, then we have no choice but to die. Both me...and you..._

I shouted out for Mami to stop when a pink arrow went through the amber crystal adorning the flower ornament she wore in her hair. As its pieces fell to the floor, Mami stumbled to her left, a shot ringing out from her rifle once more. The ribbons disappeared from around me the second the veteran hit the floor.

My gaze shifted to Madoka then, knowing she had saved me from death by ending the life of another friend. With her eyes welling with tears she collapsed to the ground, crying out that she couldn't take it anymore. I told her it would be okay. I told her we could defeat Walpurgisnacht together before pulling her into a hug.

Everything would work out this time. Despite the deaths of our comrades...we would survive, right?

The battle with Walpurgisnact ended in our defeat, the city around us nothing but rubble in the wake of what appeared to be a natural disaster. Wounded, we both lay in the flooded road, staring up at the rays of sunlight desperately trying to peek through the heavy clouds rolling through the evening sky.

We used too much power trying to stop the chaos, and so, we were supposed to become witches together. I was...surprisingly okay with that. I didn't mind destroying the world at that point. We had fought too long and had suffered too much trying in vain to save a world destined for condemnation anyway. Why not tear it to pieces?

But Madoka...my dear friend simply smiled as she used her last grief seed, the very thing that could have saved her from death, to purify my soul gem.

 _Sorry I lied. I guess I still had one left._

 _But why? You should have used it!_

 _It's better this way. I want you to do something I couldn't do._

The grief seed stripped away the darkness, revealing the light of my soul gem again when Madoka's breathing grew shallow.

 _You can go back in time, right Homura? You can go back and change everything, so that...we don't end up like this?_

This memory is hard to think about, regardless of all the years that have passed since then, even with Madoka alive and well in my present. Her earnest plea for salvation destroyed something inside of me that day...something I still haven't been able to get back.

 _Save me from being stupid. Don't let Kyuubey fool me again._

There in the pouring rain, I swore to protect her from a horrible end, to stop her from ever becoming a Magical Girl no matter how many times it took to do so. I would go back...again and again and again.

She smiled at me and then begged me to kill her, saying she knew there were awful things in the world, but that there were a lot of things worth protecting as well.

And so...for the sake of sparing my best friend the agony of turning into something she truly hated...I had to...

After resetting time once again, I lived the same month twelve times in a row, failing each and every time to save Madoka from death.

However, this all changed with the thirteenth reset.

I have no knowledge of how this came to be. My powers alone wouldn't have been capable of such an anomaly; moreover, despite searching for the vaguest clues throughout these last seven years, I'm no closer to an answer. Perhaps I no longer care. I'm happy living as an Honorary Britannian here in the Tokyo Settlement. Madoka is also content, spending carefree days at the illustrious Ashford Private Academy with her friends on the student council there. We live a comfortable life, having neither too little or too much. This is how things should be.

But...the masked figure known as Zero...is a threat to the peace I have built. In the core of my spirit, I am certain this new wave of chaos will bring danger to Madoka again. I'm also certain Kyubey is out there somewhere, waiting for his opportunity to ruin everything.

For in this world, Magical Girls and Witches still exist.

And I still have a vow to keep.

My name is Homura Akemi. I have walked on this Earth for thirteen years as a human and eight more as a Magical Girl.

Twenty-one years of life have come and gone.

So much has changed since that day...

* * *

 _The following narrative begins seven years ago in the early morning hours of April 16th, 2010 after Homura Akemi reset the timeline for the thirteenth time since making her vow to save Madoka Kaname from ever becoming a Magical Girl._

 _For a long while she puts off getting up from the uncomfortable hospital bed, puts off throwing on her glasses, puts off walking in a determined stride across the room to the mirror, puts off unraveling her braids, puts off using her soul gem to improve her vision and rid her fragile heart of its disease..._

 _Instead, for five minutes she lays still, staring at the ceiling with tears running down her face._

 _She begins to wonder, "Am I strong enough to keep doing this? What if I fail again? Could I stomach ending up here in this hospital again? Can I stomach meeting Madoka's gaze knowing I'll fail her in the end?"_

 _Despite knowing she must get moving to prevent Kyubey from contracting Madoka today, Homura rises in deliberate slowness, deciding her efforts for this timeline are already doomed from the start..._

 _But then, she remembers her friend's plea for her to fix everything, to create a miracle._

 _The raven-haired girl knows she can't give up. She has to keep going. If she stops...she too will die._

 _Although perhaps, she is already the walking dead._

 _"No matter how many times I have to go back..." She trails off momentarily to wipe away her tears. "I'll save you...Madoka."_

 _With that vow firmly renewed in her heart, the time traveling Puella Magi leaps out of bed, not bothering to touch those old red glasses as she moves to the mirror she can barely see._

 _In previous timelines, when Homura walked to the mirror with her glasses precariously sliding down her nose, she always took a glance at the calendar. This time, however, she didn't bother to waste a second looking. Enough time had slipped from her grasp already and besides that, there was no point in looking anyway. She knew the date._

 _"March 16th, 2013," she muttered, watching her hair as it fell against her back "This is where it always begins."_

 _She really should have glanced at the calendar._

 _No matter. In time she will know just what it is she has done._

 _For in the last timeline, Homura unknowingly accepted another contract, a very different contract from the one Kyubey tricked her into._

 _Because of this, she will find herself in a brand new world with a whole new set of rules and conditions. She won't be able to predict what's coming._

 _And, while she doesn't realize it yet, this will be the last reset to this particular point in her life. The battles ahead will challenge her more than before, test her spirit in ways not yet challenged. She may never see the end of the journey ahead, but she will fight her hardest and give her best anyway. No agony will be enough to stop her from keeping her promise, from fulfilling the sacred duty she has placed upon her own shoulders._

 _She will continue to survive, protecting Madoka Kaname for the rest of her days if necessary._

 _But somewhere down the road, she'll find herself at a crossroads between the life she has chosen and the life she didn't know she wanted._

 _Do the paths of this world lead to happiness or to deeper sorrow?_

 _For Homura Akemi, discovering the answer is..._

 _The 13th Struggle._

* * *

A/N: And so ends the first chapter. Thanks for taking the time to check this story out. If you feel so inclined, please leave your thoughts in that comment box below. Constructive criticism is welcome. Any feedback in general is welcome as it's been a while since I've written anything for Madoka Magica. Haha! Stay tuned for chapter two!


	2. Stage 0: A Different World

A/N: Hey everyone! So last chapter we were introduced to the beginnings of the plot through the backstory Homura provided in her portion of the first chapter. Something I didn't explain last chapter is that Homura's first person section and the third person section that followed were part of two different time periods. So, for future reference, I will add some information here so that you guys won't end up confused later.

First Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2017 sometime after Lelouch first appears as Zero.

Third Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2010 when Homura has reset time to a few months before the Britannian invasion of Japan.  
 _  
Italic Third Person Narrative_ = These sections are similar to the normal third person narrative except that the narrator of those scenes is actually a character speaking. For example, C.C. often gives a small speech at the beginning of each episode in Code Geass. In these small speeches, she sometimes refers to herself in the third person. Assume that if this type of narrative shows up, someone unseen is speaking it.

Warnings: This story is basically one huge AU of Madoka Magica, except for Homura's flashback episode near the end of the series. In other words, the events of the anime and Rebellion have not occurred and will not occur. Also in this story, Homura has only been through twelve cycles rather than the rumored 100, meaning that her character development is an ongoing process. As for how Code Geass will tie in...well, it'll eventually be explained. For now, I have to keep you guys guessing.

 **Opening Theme:** _O2 by Orange Range  
_ **Ending Theme:** _Enrai (Distant Thunder) by Do As Infinity_

Disclaimer: In addition to not owning the rights Madoka Magica or Code Geass, I also do not own the rights to a Code Geass novel entitled, STAGE -0- ENTRANCE by Mamoru Iwasa. This novel is set during the time Lelouch and Nunnally were living with Suzaku at the Kururugi mansion. The final section of this chapter is an excerpt of one of the book's chapters, modified by me to fit my writing style. I will put a proper citation at the end of the chapter. I definitely recommend buying the book Code Geass fans, it is so good and gives a lot of insight into certain characters.

Now with all that said, let's get to this chapter!

* * *

 _"If you enter this contract, you will live as a human, but also as one completely different. Different rules, different time, a different life….  
The power of the king will make you lonely indeed." ~C.C._

* * *

April 16th, 2010  
5:04 p.m.  
~Mitakihara City: Kaname Residence

Midway through the afternoon, streams of electricity began to crackle through the sky and thunder loudly proclaimed its presence to the entire city of Mitakihara. Seconds after this explosion of sound, the charcoal clouds angrily opened, sending down a torrent of cold rain upon the civilians traveling the streets and the vehicles moving along the previously dry roads.

Homura Akemi traveled by shadow, having transformed into her magical self in order to combat a witch nearing the residential district where Madoka Kaname lived. She pocketed the grief seed it carried after her victory, knowing to save it for when her soul gem truly needed purification from her inner turmoil.

With her feet quietly sloshing against puddles, the raven-haired girl found herself slightly agitated by the almost vicious storm. She was used to the timelines being different in subtle ways, which included weather patterns, but this particular day, no matter the timeline, was the one exception to the rule. In twelve cycles, March 16th, 2013 remained a day where the weather was eerily perfect, foretelling another doomed effort.

Today was the first instance where the weather actually reflected Homura's sorrow for having failed in the previous cycle.

Despite the fearsome force of the wind and rain, the now fourteen year-old magical girl found her way to Madoka's home. She scowled at the building briefly before silently drawing closer. " _Kyubey will be here soon...and when he arrives I'll be waiting to end him."_

Removing a simple handgun from her shield, Homura once again ducked out of side, careful not to make a single sound as she hid herself behind the bushes growing near the house. Checking to make sure she hadn't been spotted, she dove across the tiny backyard in a quiet sprint. When she saw the silhouette of Madoka's father in one of the windows, Homura used her powers to freeze time temporarily before bolting out of sight again.

Once safely next the window to Madoka's room, she snuck behind another nearby bush, keeping her body poised to attack the second Kyubey made his appearance, even as her knees began to sink into the muddy ground.

For an hour, violet eyes scanned the area, waiting for a glimpse of the prey they desired.

" _I won't lose her this time_ ," she thought, gritting her teeth when Madoka's plea for salvation began to echo in her head like an anthem for probably the thousandth time since making her vow. " _I'll protect her. She won't die!"_

It was as she was still waiting for Kyubey to show up that Homura heard the sound of the window near her opening followed by an exclamation of, "Wow, it's really pouring!"

"Oi! Madoka! Close the window! You're gonna get water everywhere! Your parents will kill me!"

Homura's gaze widened considerably, her brain short-circuiting for a good couple of seconds as she noted the very distinct tone of Sayaka Miki's voice. " _What in the..."_

Unable to fathom this turn of events, she activated her time stopping power and sprung out of the bush like a whack-a-mole in order to get a closer look at the situation unfolding before her.

At the sight she saw, the time traveling Magical Girl was unable to stop her jaw from dropping.

"Wh-what is...how..."

Muttering incoherently, Homura stared past Sayaka, who looked like her normal self, wearing her school uniform from Mitikihara Middle School. She was also wearing the silver ring of the Magical Girl around her middle finger. Clearly Kyubey had already gotten to her, but this wasn't caused the stoic girl's jaw to hit the ground beneath her feet.

What caused that hilarious spectacle was the sight of Madoka Kanme as an eight-year old.

An eight-year old!

Homura couldn't believe what she was seeing. Madoka still looked like Madoka, as adorable and sweet as ever, but...it was clear that she was significantly younger, too young for Kyubey to make a contract with, or so the time traveler hoped.

Of course this question remains on her mind.

" _How...can this be...what...happened?"_

The raven-haired ran away from the pair then, her time magic dissipating half a second before she turned the corner of the house.

Hearing the slight sound of someone's foot scraping along the grass, Sayaka Miki blinked, unbothered by the rain as she stuck out her head to look. "Hmm?"

"Hey! Saya-chan! Let's go play in the rain!"

Shaking her head, the blue-haired girl shut the window without turning to face the child behind her. "No way, kid. You'll get sick."

Madoka lifted her significantly smaller hands to her chest. "Awww, come on Saya-chan! I thought you said you always wanted to dance in the rain. It's raining now, so let's go!"

Laughing at Madoka's pout reflected in the glass, Sayaka finally turned around. "You're too good of a listener, although you forgot part of it."

The younger girl gave her babysitter a quizzical stare. "What part?"

Tapping Madoka's nose lightly, Sayaka replied, "I said I always wanted to dance in the rain with Kyousuke. And by dance in the rain, I mean twirl around in a drizzle...not in that mess."

"But I thought you liked the water," Madoka stated, sounding confused. "You always say you're like a fish. What kind of fish doesn't like the water?"

"Madoka, you can't take everything I say literally..."

"Someone's a freaky fish," the child interrupted, pointing an accusatory index finger toward teen with a look of mock horror.

"What...I'm not..."

"Saya-chan is a freaky fish girl! Saya-chan is a freaky fish girl!" Madoka continued to sing this over and over, prompting an angry blush from the older girl.

"Alright, that's it," she answered, moving her fingers as if they were spider legs. "You've unleashed the tickle monster. Prepare for a painful demise. Ahahahahaha!"

"Ah!" Madoka began giggling the second Sayaka got her hands on her. "No! Don't Saya-chaaaaan!"

Sayaka's responding grin was flat out demonic. "Begging for mercy are we? You're weak, Mado-chan."

"Keeyaaaaaahahahahaha!"

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Homura was inside the house a short distance away, having picked the lock on the front door. After disabling the alarm, she began to move about the house, looking primarily at the photos to see if she was hallucinating somehow. She thought she got her answer when she picked up what had to be the most recent picture. Within it, eight year-old Madoka stood in between her parents wearing a simple red dress and a silver party hat. A banner in the background read Happy New Year.

Homura removed the photo from the frame in a panic, flipping it over to see if there was a date written on the back. There was...

"January 1st, 2010," she breathed, noticing the significant bump of Mrs. Kaname's stomach. Homura knew her best friend had a younger brother...Tatsuya Kaname. She also remembered Madoka was at least seven years older than him, maybe eight by a couple months. Had she gone too far back into the past? No, Sayaka was still the same age...then again she looked slightly more mature to Homura...was she actually older now?

Carrying the photo and its glass frame in her hands, the confused girl walked briskly into the kitchen. She had never actually been inside Madoka's house before, but she knew most families kept calendars and other such things posted on their refrigerator doors.

" _This will explain it_ ," she thought once she stood before the stainless steal appliance. Just as she suspected, the calendar was held to the door with a magnet.

Ignoring the X's and circled dates, Homura focused all her attention on the bold heading at the top of the page.

It read, April 2010.

Sayaka barely heard the sharp sound of breaking glass over Madoka's fitful giggles. Upon hearing it though, she stopped her assault on Madoka's sides, rising from the bed quickly as a serious look overcame her features. The younger girl didn't notice, she was still trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard.

Wiping away some tears that had leaked out of her eyes, the pink-haired girl began to speak. "Saya-chan..."

"Quiet Madoka!"

The whispered command caused the younger girl to flinch. Suddenly she noticed the grim expression on her babysitter's face.

"What's wrong," she asked, careful to be as quiet as possible.

Sayaka softened her expression to ease Madoka's worries. "I'm sorry. It's just that I heard something weird just now. You mind waiting here while I go check it out."

She responded with a quick nod, a little worried. "Okay."

Offering one last smile to Madoka, the blue-haired teen opened the door and carefully stepped out into the hall. "Lock this until I come back."

Once again the younger girl nodded, hopping off the mattress as Sayaka shut the door. When the older teen heard the lock click, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for fight. From around the corner she could hear someone taking shallow breaths.

" _An intruder, huh? Never had to transform to do any crime fighting."_ The freaky fish girl moved a little more confidentially down the hall, a wicked smirk replacing the scowl she'd been sporting seconds earlier. " _This could be fun, and boy is Kyoko gonna be jealous._.. _oh wait, it could be Madoka's dad. He may have forgotten something on the way to the hospital. I wouldn't blame if he did. His wife chose a pretty terrible moment to go into labor. I mean seriously this storm..."_

Realizing that she'd gone into a mental ramble, Sayaka shook her head, choosing to stay cautious just in case, but not to transform just yet. Perhaps she should call out just to check.

Getting her soul gem ready just in case, the teen spoke. "Mr. Kaname?"

Sayaka heard a wisp of air, the breath of someone in a state of panic. She was sure now. Definitely an intruder.

Wasting no time, Sayaka called upon the power of her soul gem, transforming her into her Magical Girl form. Aware of a possible gun attack, she leapt into the room in a speed beyond human detection, her body ducking behind the kitchen table as she withdrew her sword. For a few seconds she hesitated, not sure how she was going to subdue this person. She certainly didn't want to kill him...

More glass shattered, ruining the girl's concentration as did the sound of howling wind from outside.

"What the..." The words fell into nothingness when Sayaka rose to her feet, turning on her heel to see the broken window in the living room behind her. "How..."

At that exact moment, the calendar slipped from the grasp of the magnet, clattering to the floor. She groaned at the sound, her sky-blue gaze still on the broken window. " _They're definitely not going to ask me to babysit again. Great...there goes all the cash Kyoko doesn't get to spend on food."_

Aggravated by failure, the teen moved around the kitchen bar as a means to pick up the calendar that fell.

She stopped moving at the sight of glass surrounding it.

Sayaka's expression grew even more horrified. " _Oh no...that was Mrs. Kaname's one of a kind rose-glass picture frame! It's irreplaceable! I'm so dead! How did the stupid thing even get over here!?"_

Too distracted by her imminent doom, Sayaka didn't notice the picture lying face down underneath fragments of the frame, its date mirrored in each piece.

* * *

Earlier, in the hour Homura was waiting for Kyubey to show up in Mitakihara City, there was a conflict occurring on the other end of the country, a place where the storm had yet to strike. There the air held an aroma of hostility as well as playfulness; it held innocence as well as corruption.

The cherry blossoms in the trees near the main house of the Kururugi Estate gently swayed along the caress of the wind, its petals breaking away from the branches in a slow dance toward the ground, making a path along the cobblestone walkway leading to the sliding doors of the mansion's front entrance.

Within this expansive and immaculate estate lies a study, and in that study, two men discuss the future of Japan.

The shorter, more stout looking fellow is the Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi. A few minutes ago, he handed a small booklet of documents to the taller man sitting across from him, a soldier named Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

Along with being a trained soldier in the Japanese army, Tohdoh was a teacher to Kururugi's son, Suzaku.

As the soldier began reading through the documents he noted the ashtray on the table. It had at least three cigarette butts inside, all of them belonging to the Prime Minister himself, for Tohdoh neither smoked or drank.

The room, lush with Western-style furnishings, is dark. Early in their conversation, Kururugi shut the blinds, blocking out the light of the setting sun and the grey clouds rolling in. However, even shrouded in shadow, the owner's tastes, different from those of his people, were easily showcased to the soldier. It wasn't very surprising considering the many countries this man had studied in. This international experience is most likely what gave Genbu Kururugi his edge, what prompted the people to vote him their Prime Minister.

As Tohdoh read through the materials given to him, he started to think the choice may have been a mistake. He sighed.

"Are these facts?"

The stout man sitting before him nodded nonchalantly, his face barely visible in the dark. "If it's not true, then I should fire all our intelligence members. He smiled as he said this. Tohdoh knew only because he could see the man's gleaming, slightly yellowed teeth.

"Why are you surprised, Tohdoh? We're dealing with a tyrant, a one-of-a-kind we don't often see in history. He is a bloodthirsty beast. Britannia Emperor Charles Zi Britannia. If you know that man even a little, it's not something to be surprised about. He is not someone we can continue to appease. I knew this would happen as soon as we took the side of the E.U. and the Chinese Federation, even though it was for a short period of time."

"I see," Tohdoh replied, "And what do we do now?"

Genbu turned away from the soldier briefly, his gaze shifting to the blinds. "For now they're publically saying that it is military training in the East China Sea. So we'll pretend we buy that. I've already told Okinawa Headquarters to increase their troops and hold emergency simulation trainings."

"That's not good. It will give the enemy an excuse." Tohdoh had clearly called Britannia the enemy. This simple statement was symbolic foreshadowing for the war that was sure to come .

"If we show a heavy-handed display, it might start a war," he added sternly.

"Actually, it would definitely start a war," the Prime Minister answered. "Don't misunderstand, Tohdoh. They are already picking a fight with us. Even before we've indicated if we want to fight. It would be pointless to act submissive now." Genbu laughed then.

"Of course, it is my intention that they are doing so."

Tohdoh stared at the man across from him as he chuckled some more. The sound carried through the room for a long minute until it came to an abrupt halt.

Dark, sinister eyes looked back at Tohdoh.

As Genbu was speaking again, his son, Suzaku Kururugi, neared the door to the study. He was there to inform his sensei about how he'd left his sword and a package in the training hall. He also wanted to mention how Lelouch called him a birdbrain of a soldier for doing so.

At the same time though, the young boy was curious as to what his sensei and his father could be talking about for hours on end.

What he heard when he reached the door would change his life...forever.

"...Once we go to war, Japan cannot win against Britannia."

Those words alone made the child's blood run could. Suddenly he was paralyzed, his emerald gaze wide as he continued to listen, only comprehending pieces of what his father was saying.

"Britannia can invade Japan any day, and our nation will lose in a matter of a short period of time."

There was a period of silence, and then, Suzaku heard his sensei speak. "You knew we were going to loose..." The young boy could tell from the pause that his master was choosing his words very carefully, restraining himself from whatever anger had taken hold. "...then why did you make matters worse?"

His father began to speak again, but the boy was barely listening now. His mind had gone elsewhere. To Lelouch, to Nunnally. Britannia was their home country. What would happen to them? According to everyone else around him, those two were nothing more than hostages. He had been warned countless times not to get close to them, but he refused to listen. He liked them. He liked both of them. They were his friends, people he wanted to protect.

As he stood there, almost shaking from terror, he heard his father mention them-his friends.

"By the way, the Britannian children we're keeping at our house," he began. "We need to get rid of them here in Japan. I had a request from them."

The child took a step away from the door, then another. "Not from the father. I guess he's not that coldhearted. But the factional struggle within the family is a bit scary, eh? There are people in Britannia who do not want those two alive."

Suzaku silently backtracked upon hearing those words, and once he was far away enough as to not be heard, he bolted for the exit. A low rumble of thunder ricocheted through the greying sky as he stumbled out, breathing harshly from the effort of having held it while listening to his father and Tohdoh. For a few seconds he simply stood there with his hands against his knees, color draining from his skin as a horrible truth dawned on him.

" _He's going to kill them,_ " he realized, his pupils dilating in terror. " _My father...he's going to take them away from me."_

Without another thought, Suzaku took off in a run again, his legs propelling him toward the small annex building where Lelouch and Nunnally stayed.

* * *

A/N: That ends this chapter. Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed so far. If you're liking where this is going, feel free to tell me so in that review box down below. Constructive criticism is also welcome. And, as promised, below is a proper citation for the excerpt I used and modified for the last section of this chapter. If you're a Code Geass fan, I recommend purchasing this book and its corresponding novels. Used copies are probably available on Amazon. That's how I got mine. Thanks again for reading.

Iwasa, Mamoru. _Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - STAGE -0- ENTRANCE._ Trans. Bandai Entertainment Inc. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., LTD, 2007.

118-122. Print.

Yep, citing things like a boss...although the formatting on fanfiction won't allow for hanging indentation. Oh well. XD


	3. Stage 0: Sins of the Son

A/N: One of my reviews from last chapter informed me of an error that I failed to notice. When initially researching Madoka Magica lore for this story, I went to a Wikia page that stated that the date Homura went back to was on the 16th day of either March or April. Unsure of which one to actually pick seeing as I thought there was an option based on what I found, I went with April. Turns out, March was the correct month. No big deal. Easily fixed, right? Well, I thought so initially, but right as I was beginning to correct the month of the earlier chapters, I remembered something. Based on the timeline of the Code Geass novel I have, the events with Suzaku that are going to take place in the chapter below happened in April 2010. The way I've written this, I have Homura's return and Suzaku's sinful deed occurring on the same day, and in order to be right lore wise with both, it would call for a huge rewrite...

Ain't nobody got time for that.

So, since I am a bit more biased to Code Geass, I decided to leave the date as is and just accept the fact that my Madoka Magica lore is a bit incorrect. Even so, special thanks to the reviewer who pointed out the mistake to me. He taught me a valuable lesson I won't soon forget. Never trust Wikia. It lies! It lies I tell ya! Anyway, that's all I have to say on that. Enjoy the chapter.

First Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2017 sometime after Lelouch first appears as Zero.

Third Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2010 when Homura has reset time to a few months before the Britannian invasion of Japan.  
 _  
Italic Third Person Narrative_ = These sections are similar to the normal third person narrative accept that the narrator of those scenes is actually a character speaking. For example, C.C. often gives a small speech at the beginning of each episode in Code Geass. In these small speeches, she sometimes refers to herself in the third person. Assume that if this type of narrative shows up, someone unseen is speaking it.

Warnings: This story is basically one huge AU of Madoka Magica, except for Homura's flashback episode near the end of the series. In other words, the events of the anime and Rebellion have not occurred and will not occur. Also in this story, Homura has only been through twelve cycles rather than the rumored 100, meaning that her character development is an ongoing process. As for how Code Geass will tie in...well, we'll be exploring a little of that today.

 **Opening Theme:** _O2 by Orange Range  
_ **Ending Theme:** _Enrai (Distant Thunder) by Do As Infinity_

Disclaimer: In addition to not owning the rights Madoka Magica or Code Geass, I also do not own the rights to a Code Geass novel entitled, STAGE -0- ENTRANCE by Mamoru Iwasa. This novel is set during the time Lelouch and Nunnally were living with Suzaku at the Kururugi mansion. Unlike the last chapter, a good portion of this chapter is one long excerpt of one of the book's chapters, modified by me to fit my writing style. (Please note that all dialogue is from the book itself.) I will put a proper citation at the end of the chapter. I definitely recommend buying the book Code Geass fans, it is so good and gives a lot of insight into certain characters.

* * *

 _"There's awful, horrible things in this world. I know that now." ~Madoka Kaname_

* * *

April 16th, 2010  
6:15 p.m.  
Kururugi Estate

When Homura Akemi came across the calendar reading April 2010 posted on the fridge within the Kaname household in the city of Mitakihara, the son of Prime Minister Kururugi was running.

He was pale from the effort of doing so, but regardless of this he continued to run on the stone pavement beneath his feet.

He wasn't enjoying the run as he usually did. He was running as if he were running away from something. Hard as he try not to think about it, his worst fears had become a reality.

Before this moment, Suzaku Kururugi considered the issues concerning Britannia and Japan as ramblings among adults. It had nothing to do him. He was certain it had nothing to do with him, or Lelouch, or Nunnally.

He questioned why Britannia would want to invade when members of their own royal family were still here in his homeland. He wondered if the Emperor of Britannia cared about his own children, wondered why someone wasn't doing something to sheild them, especially now with war on the horizon.

Suzaku had no answers. He could barely think past the confusion spinning in his head, could barely breathe with nausea creeping up his esophagus, and could barely focus on running past the rage spreading through him like a disease.

When he reached the small annex where Lelouch and Nunnally lived, he kicked open the door and ran in without bothering to knock.

"Lelouch! Nunnally! Where are you! Answer me!"

Only silence responded to his words. Outside the sky was growing darker. Thunder rumbled through the area again.

The quiet filed the child with anxiety, causing him to tremble almost violently as he called out again with all his might.

"Lelouch! It's me!"

Silence hung in the room again for a few seconds until Suzaku heard a soft whimper, a voice that wasn't his own coming from the floor above him. Not daring to have any sense of relief until he was sure things were alright, he ran up the stairs.

When he reached the hallway on the second floor, he could clearly hear Lelouch groaning.

Calling out his friend's name, Suzaku threw open the thin sliding door to find the raven-haired boy laying face down on the wood flooring next to the bed. The sight nearly choked him.

"Lelouch! Hey, wake up," he shouted, running to the prince's aide. However, when he tried to sit him up, Lelouch retaliated by sinking his teeth into his arm.

Suzaku winced at the pain. "Ow...idiot! Lelouch! It's me, Suzaku!

But Lelouch still didn't stop. He kicked Suzaku's stomach, grabbed his hair, and tried to get away. It was as if they'd reverted back to the day they first met, when the two boys were aggravated by the mere sight of each other.

"What is with you?" the Japanese boy questioned angrily, almost worriedly as he fought to hold Lelouch down. Beneath him, the Britannian prince shuddered, turning himself around in the process.

Suzaku gasped upon seeing Lelouch's normally clear eyes muddled in a drug induced haze. " _What's wrong with him..."_

The violet-eyed boy weakened, but not before grasping at Suzaku's chest. His hand twisted in the white dogi he wore.

"Father..."

At first, Suzaku thought Lelouch was asking for help, but within seconds that expression of helplessness on his friend's face shifted into one of pure, raw rage.

"Father...I knew it," he muttered, bitterness dripping from every word. "You knew this would happen...and you abandoned us! Father!"

Suzaku narrowed his gaze in understanding, finally seeing the entire picture of what was happening around him. He had always questioned why Lelouch only allowed him to get close, why he considered everyone else around him a threat. Now the reason was clear.

What wasn't clear was why he was able to become his and Nunnally's friend.

"Nunnally..."

Snapping back to attention, Suzaku got straight to business. "Lelouch! Where's Nunnally?"

Lelouch muttered something inaudible, exhaustion beginning to overtake him.

"Hey, don't close your eyes," the Japanese boy ordered, feeling even more frantic than before. "You're going to protect Nunnally, aren't you?"

The boy's body began to slump over, a weak scowl on his face now. "Sorry...I misunderstood you...sorry...so can you...at least...at least...save...Nunnally..." His words cut off. Suzaku tried once more to shake his friend awake, but it proved to be of no use. He must've been drugged to fall asleep.

As the son of Genbu Kururugi began to lift his friend from off the floor, he glanced across the room, noting the messy state it was in. He could guess what happened from that. Lelouch probably fought the people who tried to take Nunnally away. And then, in the struggle, he was drugged.

He stared down at Lelouch as he laid him on the bed. His eyes were shut tight, his expression showing signs of worry. Such an expression didn't belong on the face of someone so young.

Lelouch probably didn't have the slightest idea of the words he'd spoken or who he'd spoken them too, as is usually the case when anyone is under the influence of a powerful substance.

To Suzaku, it didn't matter. Lelouch asked him to protect Nunnally. To save her.

Those words shut out everything else.

A couple droplets of water fell from the sky when the boy stepped out of the small annex building, his movements much slower than before when his mind had been in a state of panic. Now it was clear what he needed to do.

He would protect his friends, no matter the cost to himself.

Such a mantra was very similar to the one Homura often chanted to herself when failure was imminent, when despair took its hold.

Suzaku didn't give himself a chance to think of what the consequences would be. He was far too young to see how this moment in time would affect him and the rest of Japan.

Eventually, he found himself at the entrance of the estate again. It was sprinkling by the time he entered the training hall, the place where he had stashed Tohdoh's sword just two hours ago.

Now he held the hilt of the blade firmly in his right hand as he approached his father's study.

* * *

Present day

April 16th, 2017  
Noon  
A.S.E.C. Laboratory: Tokyo Settlement Government Bureau

Seven years have passed since that day...the day I murdered my father the Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi. War was inevitable, but his call for do or die resistance would have destroyed any chance for Japan to have peace.

Zero is a lot like my father. Prideful. Stubborn. He holds no qualms for spilling blood if it means achieving his end goal.

When he saved me from being executed for a crime I didn't commit, he asked for me to join his crusade against Britannia. I refused to do so.

 _Anything gained through contemptible means is meaningless._

It was a hypocritical statement for me to make. Despite piloting the white knightmare known as Lancelot, I'm far from being a symbol for justice. I'm merely a traitor to my countrymen and those who work around me see me as little more than an Eleven who managed to attain the rank of Warrant Officer thanks my bosses Professor Lloyd Asplund and Miss Cecile Croomy.

More importantly, like Zero, my hands are stained with blood. Truthfully, the only difference between us is that I'm trying to find the right way to release the people of Japan from discrimination and despair. Ever since that night seven years ago, that's all I've tried to do.

Because back then...on that night...

* * *

Seven years ago

April 16th, 2010  
7:00 p.m.  
Kururugi Estate

As far as Genbu Kururugi was concerned, everything had gone well. He was celebrating with a what he thought to be a well-deserved smoke.

Tohdoh wasn't there anymore. He was being confined in another room.

Truly this was a triumphant moment. Soon, all his ambitions will come to fruition.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Genbu exhaled smoke with the sinister smile from earlier still plastered along his face. Yes, victory was his and his alone.

Suddenly the phone rang. The call was coming from within the mansion.

The Prime Minister picked up the phone. A muffled voice on the other end began to speak. As he spoke, the light sound of rain tapped against the window.

The smile fell from his face.

"How many?" he questioned, pushing his cigarette into the ashtray before making his way to the window. Pushing a blind up slightly, he noted the rain and the distant silhouettes of soldiers. The muffled voice answered his inquiry and Kururugi found himself oddly impressed with Tohdoh's foresight. Apparently he wasn't the idiot he thought he was.

"Fine," The Prime Minister muttered, his fingers leaving the blinds. "Leave them alone. It's just a matter of the master answering to the yelp of his dog. That Kirihara. I guess he was more suspicious of me than I imagined.

As Genbu continued to speak with the man on the other end of the phone, a small figure came to stand behind his door.

Another light rumble of thunder sounded, accompanied by a single flash of lightning. The rain fell faster.

The Prime Minister was still talking, his movements taking him toward the door to the study when it opened before him, causing the man to gasp and grasp the phone more tightly in his hands. With terror in his heart, he stared at the space the door made. At the end of his sharp sight was...

A small shadow...

Wearing a white dogi and navy hakama.

Genbu's initial reaction was to sigh in relief. Once that action was complete, he allowed his anger to take over.

"What do you want, Suzaku?"

The boy in question didn't answer, only stared back at his father blankly.

"I'm asking you what you want," Genbu roared, aggravated by his son's apparent foolishness. "Your father is busy."

Suzaku still didn't reply.

Clicking his tongue, the man turned away from the boy, speaking into the receiver again. "It's me. No, it's nothing. I'll call back. Just keep quiet until then." He hung up, his sharp gaze falling to the boy once again. He noted that his left arm was hidden behind his back.

"Suzaku..."

"Father..."

They both spoke at the same time. Lightning flashed outside the covered window.

Suzaku took a tentative step into the study, though clearly it wasn't because he was scared. If anything, his movement resembled the dull limp of a decaying zombie; moreover, his lifeless gaze and expression added an extra layer of truth to the grim imagery.

"Please father." His voice was also emotionless. "Please don't start a war."

For a few fleeting seconds, Genbu Kururugi was completely dumbfounded. With an almost curious tone he asked the simplest of questions.

"What?"

"Please." Suzaku lowered his gaze. "Don't harm those two."

Genbu's expression changed then, and for a few seconds he looked at his son as if he were his greatest foe.

But when he spoke again, his tone reflected little more than distaste. "What are you talking about? Are you foolish?" Shaking his head in frustration, the older Kururugi tried to leave the room but was stopped by a hand taking hold of his sleeve. He attempted to shake the boy off him, but Suzaku wouldn't budge.

"Please."

In that moment, the Prime Minister was unable to hold back his temper. "Stop bothering me!"

He flung out his arm and finally, his son let go.

At the same time, however, he heard a heavy clunk. It seemed Suzaku really had been hiding something behind him, but the man didn't bother to see what it was, nor did he bother to ask Suzaku, who was on his knees on the floor, if he was alright. He made the decision to depart without saying another word to the boy. After all, he understood he was taking something precious away from his son. Even so, what was one sacrifice? The Britannian Prince would live. Only the girl would have to die. His son would get over it.

What the man didn't realize was that his son's line of thinking was much different than his own. Too different to reconcile.

This entire confrontation had been the boy's first and last attempt to reason with his father. Only one option remained in his mind.

Suzaku rose to his feet, watching his father as he approached the door. " _If that's the case..."_

Genbu Kururugi stopped briefly, a small sign of hesitation showing in his stance. It appeared he may have wanted to say something...

But those words will never be uttered.

Feeling his resolve as the hand along the hilt of Tohdoh's sword steadied, Suzaku glared menacingly at the back of his father's head. "Then...you can't leave father."

The man turned, his son's words prompting him to do so. His body involuntarily twitched when a foreign object sunk into his stomach, tearing through organs and intestines before escaping out the other side of his body. A stream of crimson squirted out of his back, splattering against the ornate door Suzaku had entered in through.

Outside, another flash of lightning tore through the sky and was immediately followed by a crescendo of sound that shook the Earth.

More blood leaked from the source of the wound, sliding down onto the boy's considerably smaller hands.

"Gah...Suzaku...you..."

He plunged the blade deeper, the room momentarily illuminated by another flash of white light. "You can't leave."

Genbu Kururugi, the Prime Minister of Japan fell dead at the hands of his son that very instant.

* * *

In another room of the mansion, Nunnally was alone in the dark, the only sound being the ticking of a clock and her own breaths.

Suddenly, she heard the creak of a door opening. The blind, crippled girl lifted her head at the sound, noting the footsteps slowly approaching. "Who is it?"

There was no answer, only the footsteps.

Nunnally's initial anxiety transformed into a paralyzing fear. She was about to scream when a voice responded.

"Nunnally, are you okay?"

She felt a small bit of tension leave her body. "Suzaku?" Overwhelmed with relief, the girl didn't notice the slight tremor in his voice.

"I'm sorry someone put you here," he told her. "Father...I think he was a little drunk." Suzaku came behind Nunnally then, his hands gripping the handles on her wheelchair. As he did this, the blind girl picked up on the sound of something dripping and the smell of something metallic.

"Um...Suzaku?"

"Don't worry," he interrupted. "He's sleeping already. I'm sorry to surprise you."

The young girl tried to speak again, but Suzaku cut her off once more.

"Let's go home Nunnally. Lelouch is waiting." He lowered the casters and began pushing her wheelchair out of the room.

For a few fleeting seconds, the boy thought he might be okay. He pretended he was dreaming, that he was having a violent nightmare after watching some scary movie or something similar. Within seconds he decided this had to be the case and was grateful that, at the very least, his nightmare would have a happy ending. He'd take Nunnally back to Lelouch and then he would wake up. His father wouldn't be a monster plotting the death of his friends or war and he would get to grow up happily alongside his best friends.

However, when Suzaku reached the hallway his stomach churned at the crimson splotches he'd tracked everywhere. Suddenly his eyes widened, his heart dropping to his stomach as he finally saw the blood flowing down his palms. Even the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair were stained with his sin.

"Ugh! Urgh!"

Nunnally almost jumped in fright. "Suzaku!? Suzaku!? Are you okay?"

The Japanese boy fought against the wave of mania hitting him, praying desperately for the strength to simply run away without causing the girl any more distress.

"Yeah," he started, lying through his teeth in a way that felt unnatural. "I'm just...Sorry, I guess I can't." He was struggling to get words out. "Nunnally, please ask a servant to take you back."

"Suzaku?"

"I'm sorry..."

Nunnally called out to him, clearly wanting to know what the heck was wrong with him, but Suzaku couldn't turn back. He ran into the first room he could get to.

The room he chose turned out to be the wrong one.

He ended up back in the study, his father's body lying in its metallic-smelling grave.

The child wanted to turn around and run, but found he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead he walked further into the room, another sense of mania crawling over his flesh like a panicked spider.

" _I killed him...I killed my...what have I...why did I..."_

His reasoning suddenly felt inadequate in his own mind, almost like he expected his father to still be alive somehow. Did he honestly believe people didn't die when they were killed? Did he think he was living in a fairytale world? Did he think actions didn't have consequences? Did he think he could reverse the effects later?

All these questions run through Suzaku's mind as he makes his way to the corner of the room, his heart weighed down by the tragedy he created with his own hands. He wants to say it was the only way to save his friends, but he can't convince himself of it. He can't convince himself of anything anymore.

Suzaku saw no better way of dealing with his sin than to cry about it. Muffling his sobs with the bloodstained dogi he wore, he simply sat there and cried alone in his father's study.

Thirty minutes later the door opened. the boy didn't lift up his gaze until he saw the familiar boots his sensei wore. Even more shame washed over him, but instead of cowering away from the stern glare of his master, he looked up. His tears were already gone.

"Sensei..."

The boy saw shock displayed on Tohdoh's face. If he'd seen that expression a day earlier, Suzaku would have laughed and said, "Man, I got you good, sensei."

No such words would escape him now.

Someone else entered the room, speaking when Tohdoh couldn't, but the child didn't listen. An older man, a very wrinkly older man, said a number of things before finally turning toward him.

"Suzaku Kururugi."

He couldn't respond, even though he heard his name, he simply couldn't respond.

"Boy, you unsheathed your sword. That is a fact that we cannot change."

Suzaku still didn't answer, but he was listening.

"An unsheathed sword is not satisfied until it sees blood, and your sword is still not in its sheath. The man paused briefly, waiting for a response Suzaku wouldn't give. "Yes, even if you killed your father. Your eyes say so. Your body and blood say so. Then...it's up to you. Where are you going to sheathe your sword? It's up to you what you choose. How you want to take responsibility for the blood you've shed, and the blood you're going to shed in the future. But if you cannot do that...then take your life here."

The young boy flinched for the first time hearing those words.

But the old man was still talking. "And if you can't do that, you have no place in this world. You don't even deserve to live. Remember that."

Suzaku shakily got up to his feet then, not casting a glance on the man or his sensei.

* * *

I still think about those words sometimes. In moments when rage seeps into my consciousness, in those transient instances when my pride is attacked and everything inside of me wants to kill...I remember Kirihara, the stunned expression on Tohdoh's face, and the oath I took from that terrible day forward.

Never again...

Never again will I...

* * *

April 16th, 2010  
8:30 p.m.  
Kururugi Estate

The young boy walked alone in the storm, the raindrops soaking his hair, shoulders, and arms.

No longer wearing the bloodstained dogi, Suzaku traveled slowly to the small annex building wearing a normal shirt and shorts. Tohdoh had cleaned him of the blood. He doesn't remember it, or rather, he chooses not to remember it.

The light emanating from the annex building makes it seem like it's home.

 _"But this place..."_

Unable to look at the building anymore, Suzaku cast his gaze elsewhere, his mind set on walking away and never coming back. He couldn't face them: his friends.

However...

"Suzaku!"

The Japanese boy stopped, shifting unsteadily on his heel as Lelouch came running out of the building. He was already out of breath from running.

When he reached Suzaku, panting and sweating, he spoke quickly, practically spitting out the words as he fought to catch his breath. "Suzaku, you're finally here. What happened?"

Suzaku didn't answer the inquiry, instead choosing to make one of his own. "Where's Nunnally?"

The question distracted the raven-haired prince. "Oh. She just came back. She's inside."

"I see...and you're awake now?"

Lelouch nodded. "Just now. Anyway, what happened? Considering the situation, even you..."

"It's okay," the disturbed child interrupted, stepping forward to embrace his friend. "It's over. Everything is over."

"Suzaku?" Lelouch's voice trembled slightly, surprised by the random hug. The Japanese boy let go quickly only to grip the front of the prince's shirt as a means to hold himself up when his knees gave out. It didn't work, but his grip remained firm on the fabric.

"Hey, let go," the prince outright commanded, looking exasperated by Suzaku's worrying display. "Actually, could you explain what happened?"

The other boy had trouble speaking, his eyes filling with tears again. "Lelouch...I..."

He paused.

And when he spoke again, it was with conviction as well as grief.

"I am never going to use my power for myself..."

"Suzaku?"

"Never again," the Japanese youth continued. "I can't...Lelouch..."

It was in this moment that the sword the old man spoke of was sheathed.

However, swords aren't the only weapons that crave blood.

Elsewhere, about five miles from the base of the summit upon which the Kururugi Shrine stood firm, a blonde, teenage girl, wearing the uniform of Mitakihara Middle School, approached with her shoes gracefully scrapping along the wet concrete.

Standing before the stone steps, her golden eyes drifted to the oval container she held in her hand. Despite the grey hue of the world around her and the pouring rain, the crystal shined brightly, casting a healthier glow along the skin of the gem's owner.

* * *

Present day

"Suzaku, you're looking troubled again."

Blinking, I watched as pale hand placed a porcelain teacup and saucer near my clenched fist. Without replying my eyes drift away from the cup and toward the woman standing over me.

Marie Castaway. She's an assistant to Lloyd and Miss Cecile whose about four years older than I am. With wavy, golden-blonde hair and matching irises that complement her soft features and elegant movements, its often a wonder to me how someone like her ended up working under someone like Lloyd. She deserves better.

Frowning, she gently patted my shoulder with her right hand, the silver ring around her middle finger shining in the fluorescent lighting. "Brooding like this all the time is bad for your health. You know Lloyd will skin you alive if you're unable to pilot the Lancelot in response to mental distress."

I attempted to smile for her, lifting the teacup from its saucer. "I'm fine." After taking a sip of the dark liquid, I added, "Thanks for the tea. It's delicious as always."

With a sigh, the blonde took a step back from me. "Well then, I suppose it's time I head out to my second job."

"Second job?"

From the lower deck of the lab, Cecile called up, "Miss Castaway works as an exterminator in the poorer districts of the settlement."

"Is that right?" I asked, giving her an incredulous look. "Forgive me if this sounds rude, but a job like that doesn't seem to suit you."

Smiling brightly, the blonde winked at me. "Appearances can be deceiving, Warrant Officer." She twirled then, the bottom of her lab coat spinning about as she struck a pose. "Bugs don't stand a chance against the great Marie Castaway!"

Cecile almost spit out her tea from laughing. "You sure have a lot of energy."

With a flippant wave to me, Marie started down the steps to reach the lower deck. "I imagine I must be. After all..." Suddenly a solemn expression replaced the bright smile from before, and for a few seconds, her eyes shone with an edge of sadness mirroring everything I'm feeling now on the seventh anniversary of my father's death.

"... those cockroaches can be real witches."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you all. I know it was very Suzaku centric, leaving little room for Madoka Magica stuff, but I have a good reason for that. After all, a very familiar Magi was near the Kururugi estate at the time as you all saw. The plot thickens. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Be sure to leave your thoughts on this chapter in the review box below. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Also, as promised, I once again bring you a proper citation of the long excerpt I used as a base for most of this chapter. Once again, I strongly recommend this book to Code Geass fans. I mean sure...I just spoiled a big part of it but...well ignore that. The book is great. If you love Code Geass as much as I do, you can't afford not to have this book and its following novels in your collection.

Iwasa, Mamoru. _Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - STAGE -0- ENTRANCE._ Trans. Bandai Entertainment Inc. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., LTD, 2007.

122-134. Print.


End file.
